Slack-adjuster.



W. H. SAU-VAGE.

SLACK ADJUSTER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.25,19I6.

Patented May 29, 191?.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W. H. SAUVAGE.-

SLACK ADJUSTER.

APPLICATION FILED IAN.25,1916.

Patented May 29, 1917.

2 SHEETS- SHEET 2 awe/whom Q aa V NW ,m. I] A:-

llllll A (an illllll 'nnrrnn snare Parana onnron WILLIAM H. SAUJIAGE, 0FFLUSHING, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 GOULD COUPLER COl lIPANY, A CORPORATIONOF NEW YORK.

SLACK-ADJ US TERI.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 1917.

Application filed January 25, 1916. Serial No. 74,1$0.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. SAUVAGE, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Flushing, in the county of Queens and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Slack-Adj usters ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to slack adjusters for the brake rigging ofrailway cars and in its more intense aspect to automatic slack adjustermechanism associated with the foundation brake rigging beneath the carand preferably adjacent the brake cylinder.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a simple andpractical slack adjuster adapted to insure predetermined piston travelat all times. A further object is to provide an automatic slack adjusterwhich will be reliable and eflicient in use and operation. A furtherobject is to provide a slack adjuster of the above general type havingfew parts which will be cheap to manufacture and install. A furtherobject is to provide a slack adjuster of the first above mentioned typewhich will permit ready readjustment of the parts from time to time asmay be necessary.

Other objects will be in part obvious from the annexed drawings and inpart indicated in connection therewith by the following analysis of thisinvention.

This invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combination of parts and in the unique relations of the members and inthe relative proportioning and disposition thereof; all as morecompletely outlined herein.

To enable others skilled in the art so fully to comprehend theunderlying features thereof that they may embody the same by thenumerous modifications in structure and relation contemplated by thisinvention, drawings depicting a preferred form have been annexed as apart of this disclosure, and in such drawings, like characters ofreference denote corresponding parts throughout all the views, of which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of such parts of the brake rigging as arenecessary to fully understand the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view, partly in section, showing the adjustingmechanism;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 2 with certainparts in section or broken away to more clearly show the mechanism;

Fig. l is a detail perspective view showing the adjusting dog housing.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and more particularly Fig. l, 5denotes the brake cylinder provided with an air reservoir 6 and triplevalve 7 of well known construction and mounted in the usual manner insuitable supports on the under side of the car. The brake cylinder isprovided with a two-part extensible piston 8 connected at its end with alever 10 of the foundation brake rigging which may be called a livelever. One end of this lever is pivotally connected at 11 to a member 12leading to the hand brake mechanism while its opposite end is connectedto rod 13 leading to the truck brake rigging. A floating lever 14; isprovided at the opposite end of the cylinder and is connectedintermediate its ends with a corresponding and proportional point on thelever 10 by a tie rod 15. One end of this lever 14 may be considered asbeing relatively fixed to the adjusting mechanism shown more clearly inFigs. 2 and 3 while its opposite end is pivotally connected to rod 16leading to the truck brake rigging at the opposite end of the car. Theseparts with the exception of the adjusting mechanism are all of wellknown construction and require no detail description. It is however tobe noted that the floating lever 14 distinguishes from usualconstructions in that it is not connected at one end tothe back end ofthe cylinder. Both ends are free to move as may be necessary toefficiently operate the brakes and take up the excess slack.

The slack adjusting mechanism comprises in its broader aspect anadjusting device adapted temporarily to take up and hold the excesstravel during the application of the brakes and on release of the brakesto actuate a permanent take up and holding device to shift the fulcrumpoint of the lever 14 a distance corresponding exactly to this excesstravel. In this manner the piston travel is maintained constant at alltimes.

The slack adjusting mechanism as herein illustrated comprises an oblongbox or casting 20 supported from projecting lugs 21 secured to the carsills and its interior is divided into three chambers, one of which 22,Fig. 2, may be considered the adjusting chamber, the central one 23 thetake up and holding chamber, while the remaining .one 24 at the extremeright supports the end of the lever 14 being pivotally connected at 25with the bifurcated end of a take up and holding rod 26. The pivot pin25 projects outwardly through slots 27 in the sides of the casing 20 andthe head and washer at its opposite ends hold the rod in properposition. A slot 28 is provided on one of the sides through which thedead lever 14; extends as shown more clearly in Fig. 3.

The take up device in chamber 22 comprises a housing 30 shown moreclearly in Fig. l through which the holding rod 26 passes. A dog 31 iscontained in this housing and has its upper end bearing against thefulcrum point 32 and is normally held in canted position by means of aspring 33 coiled about the holding rod. This housing 30 is provided withan upwardly extending ear 34: connected to a pull rod 35 which passesthrough a lug 36 at one end of the cylinder and has its end connected bymeans of chain 37 to the lever 10 closely adjacent the point ofconnection with the brake cylinder piston 8. The upwardly projecting lug34E of the housing is adapted to travel in a slot 4:0 and wheneverpulled toward the left by excess travel, the dog 31 slides freely alongthe holdin rod 26 but immediately on the release is canted to theposition shown by reason of the, spring 33 and a second coiled spring 41within the chamber 22 will on release of the brakes force the housing 30toward the right against partition 42 separating the chambers 22 and 23.This movement toward the right of the housing 30 will carry the holdingrod 26 a distance corresponding exactly to the excess piston travelabove that allowed for by the normally slack lost motion chain 37.

In the chamber 23 permanent holding dogs 43 are positioned normally heldin canted position by spring 44. The holding rod 26 may pass freelythrough these dogs to the right but a reactive movement on ap plicationof the brakes will be positively prevented.

In Fig. 2 there is shown a mechanism for releasing the temporary andpermanent holding dogs. This mechanism comprises a lever pivoted on adepending lug 51 and connected near its middle by link to the end of asecond lever 52 pivoted to a sec ond depending lug 53. It will be notedthat the lever 50 is sufficiently low to be cleared by the dog 31 in itsback and forth movement but on movement of the actuating end of thelever 50 to the left its upper end will coact with the do 31 and movethe same to upright position against a stop 54. Motion is transmittedthrough the link 55 to lever 52 to cause a corresponding movement ofpermanent holding dogs 43. The right-hand end wall of the housing 30 isprovided with a recess or groove 56 idapted to pass over the stop 5%when movement to the left demands. The chamber 23 isprovided withasimilar stop 57 in such position as will enable the dogs to move tovertical position and no farther.

The operation of this device is substan tially as follows: Onapplication of the brakes the piston cylinder moves outwardly toward theleft and motion is transmitted in the usual manner to the several rodsand levers to actuate the truck brake rigging. If, hmvever, excesstravel takes place or above that allowed by chain 37 the pull rod 35will move toward the left and carry the housing 30 within the chamber 22a distance exactly equal to this excess travel, the dog 31 moving freelytoward the left along the holding rod 26. On re lease of the brakes, thespring 41 will cause the housing to return to normal position againstthe partition 42 and of course will move the rod 26 by reason of the dog31 a distance corresponding exactly to the excess piston travel, thuscausing a corresponding movement of the fulcrum point 25 of the lever14k and consequently changing the relative position of the foundationbrake rigging throughout. The position and location of the dogs 43 willof course prevent a retractive movement of the push rod 26 when thebrakes are next applied.

This progressive movement of the holding rod 26 from left to right takesplace from time to time as may be necessary, according to the wear ofthe various parts. When it is necessary to readjust the mechanism as forinstance in replacing worn brake shoes, the dogs are tripped byactuation of the lever 50 which, if desired, may be connected by anysuitable mechanism to a point at the side of the car to enable thislever to be moved toward the left without re-. quiring the workman topass beneath the car. On movement of the dogs to vertical positionagainst their respective stops and fulcrums located in upper parts ofthe chambers, it is, of course, to be understood that the push rod 26may be moved freely back to original position.

It is thus seen that this invention provides a simple and practicaldevice particularly adapted for use with the brake rig ging associatedwith the under side of the car adjacent the brake cylinder. The deviceis believed to be reliable and efiicient in use and operationat alltimes and in short is adapted to accomplish, among others, all of theobjects and advantages above set forth.

Without further analysis, the foregoing plications without omittingcertain features that, from the standpoint of the prior art, fairlyconstitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific as Jectsof this inven tion, and therefore such adaptations should and areintended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalencyof the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a slack adjuster, in combination, a brake cylinder, a live leverconnected therewith, a floating lever, a tie rod connecting said levers,and take up and holding mechanism associated with the fulcrum of thefloating lever, said mechanism comprising a casing divided into aplurality of chambers, an adjusting take up device in one of saidchambers, a holding device in another, and an adjustable fulcrum for thefloating lever in another chamber.

2. In a slack adjuster, in combination, a brake cylinder, a leveractuated thereby, and take up and holding mechanism associated with thefulcrum of said lever, said mechanism comprising a casing divided into aplurality of chambers, a take up device in one of said chambers, aholding device in another, an adjustable fulcrum for the lever inanother chamber, and a take up and holding rod pivotally connected withthe end of the vlever and passing through all of said chambers.

3. In a slack adjuster, in combination, a brake cylinder having apiston, a live lever pivotally connected with said piston, a floatinglever connected with said first mentioned lever and actuated thereby,and take up and holding means associated with one end of said floatinglever comprising a casing, a take up and holding rod within said casingand pivotally connected with the end of said floating lever, a clutchconnected with the piston adapted to slide along said holding rod onexcess piston travel and engage and move the holding rod a distancecorresponding thereto on release of the brakes to shift the fulcrum ofsaid floating lever, and means for holding said parts in shiftedposition.

4. In a slack adjuster, in combination, a brake cylinder having apiston, a live lever connected therewith, a floating lever at theopposite end of the cylinder, a link connecting said levers intermediatetheir ends, and take up and holding mechanism associated with thefulcrum of said floating lever comprising a casing supported from theunder side of the car body, a take up and holding rod within the casingand pivotally connected with the end of said floating lever, meansadapted to move along said holding rod on excess piston travel and movesaid holding rod a distance corresponding to the excess travel onrelease of the brakes to shift the fulcrum of said floating lever,

and means for holding said fulcrum in shifted position comprising aholding dog coacting with said push rod and casing and normally springheld in biting engagement with said rod.

5. In a slack adjuster, in combination, a brake cylinder, a leverconnected therewith, and take up and holding mechanisms associated withsaid lever, comprising a holding rod connected with said lever, aslidable member coacting with said rod and having a connection with thebrake cylinder piston, a dog within said housing normally held in cantedposition adapted to move freely in one direction on application of thebrakes when involving excess piston travel and bite into the rod onrelease of the brakes and carry the same in the opposite direction adistance equal to the excess piston travel, and means adapted to holdsaid rod in its newly adjusted position.

6. In a slack adjuster, in combination, a brake cylinder, a leverconnected therewith, and take up and holding mechanisms associated withsaid lever, comprising a casing, a holding rod connected with said leverand disposed longitudinally within said casing, a slidable housing insaid casing and coacting with said rod and having a connection with thebrake cylinder piston, gripping means within said housing adapted tomove freely in one direction on application of the brakes involvingexcess piston travel and bite into the rod on release of the brakes tocarry the same in the opposite direction a distance equal to the excesspiston travel, and means adapted to hold said rod in its newly adjustedposition, comprising a plurality of gripping means mounted in saidcasing and normally held in position to engage and hold said rod.

7. In a slack adjuster, in combination, a brake cylinder, a leverconnected therewith, and take up and holding mechanisms associated withsaid lever, comprising a casing, a holding rod connected with said leverand disposed longitudinally within said casing, a slidable housing insaid casing and coacting with said rod and having a connection with thebrake cylinder piston, a dog within said housing normally held in cantedposition adapted to move freely in one direction on application of thebrakes when involving excess piston travel and bite into the rod onrelease of the brakes and carry the same in the opposite direction adistance equal to the excess piston travel, and means adapted thelevers, and take up and holding mechanisms associated with the fulcrumof the floating lever, comprising a casing, a holding rod connected withsaid floating lever and disposed longitudinally Within said casing, aslidable housing in said casing and coacting with said rod and having aconnection with the live lever adjacent the point of connection with thebrake cylinder piston, a dog within said housing normally held in cantedposition adapted to move freely in one direction on application of thebrakes when involving excess piston travel and bite into the rod onrelease of the brakes and carry the same in the opposite direction adistance equal to the excess piston travel, and means adapted to holdsaid rod in its newly adjusted position comprising a dog coacting withthe rod and a spiral. spring about the rod engaging the dog to hold thesame in biting engagement therewith, and means mounted. on the casingadapted to coact with both of said dogs to move them to releaseposition.

9. In a slack adjuster, in combination, a lever to which one end of saidslack adjuster is connected and adapted to form amovable supporttherefor, said adjuster including a rod having temporary and permanenttake up and holding dogs and a single means adapted to release both ofsaid dogs to permit a relative movement of the rod with respect thereto.

10. In a slack adjuster, in combination, a cylinder, a lever connectedwith the piston thereof, a floating lever, a tie rod connecting saidlevers, said adjuster constituting a movable support for one end of saidfloating lever and comprising permanent holding dogs, and temporaryadjusting dogs and a single means for releasing both of said dogs topermit a relative movement of the movable support for said floatinglever.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this16th day of December A. D. 1915.

WILLIAM H. SAUVAGE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of latents, Washington, D. C.

